Fatehpur Sikri

History

Fathepur Sikri was founded by the Mughar emperor Akbar 40km southwest of Agra.
The third Mughar emperor Akbar who started constructing Agra fort in 1565
launched a construction of a new capital, Fathepur Sikri, in 1569. The town
forms almost rectanglar, 11km of the periphery, whose northwest side is an
impoundment. On the other three sides are city walls. On a plateau extending
from the northeast to the southwest within the city walls, an axis of north,
south, east and west is set upon which the great mosque and palace buildings are
built in diagonal arrangement. The capital was transferred because Akbar, who
was not blessed with a child for a long time, became the father of Prince Salim,
later on called Jahangir, by a benefit of a saint of Chisti order Shaikh Salim,
who lived a village located Fathepur Sikri's sight. In 1571, when Shaikh Salim
died, the great mosque was completed and Akbar came to live there for a short
period of 10 years from 1574. In 1584, the capital was moved to Lahore, and this
city was abandoned. After the conquest of Gujarat in 1574, from which this city
name meaning "City of Victory" came, craftsmen and techniques were brought to
this capital. Thus, strong mixture with Hindu architectural style is seen in
buildings. The private visiting room with center pillar symbolizing the reign,
and Panch Magal, five storied open hallbased on Din Ilahi of Akbar is especially
well known. (Naoko Fukami)